MUNCIE — After a recent record-breaking month for Horizon Convention Center, staff members are gearing up for the busy upcoming months.

"We had a record-breaking month in April," said Joann McKinney, president/CEO of the convention center. "We had our highest food and beverage sales in 16 years, thanks to a few events that month."

And the near future is looking bright for HCC, as the Downtown Muncie venue recently signed a contract to host the Indiana Vital Records Convention Oct. 27-28. It will be the first time for the event to be in Muncie. Attendance for the two-day event is expected to be 100-plus with delegates coming from most Indiana counties.

During the convention, the Indiana State Department of Health vital records division will conduct training, as its members are in charge of the registration, maintenance and issuance of birth and death records for Indiana.

The event will also feature a night of painting with instructors from Muncie's Cornerstone Center for the Arts.

In between training hours, guests will stay near Horizon Convention Center at the Courtyard Muncie by Marriott, downtown Muncie's newest hotel that's bringing more business and guests to the area.

"We would not be getting this event and some others at HCC without the hotel," McKinney said. "We met with some of the convention's committee members in April. They came for a site inspection and they were so impressed with what we had to offer, so they booked for this year."

McKinney is also looking forward to the convention center hosting several more large groups in the coming months.

These include 175 members of Indiana State Building and Construction Trades Council in September, the Indiana State Teachers Association in October, and the Society for Respiratory Care in October.

“On behalf of the entire city, we welcome the Indiana Vital Records Convention to the Horizon Convention Center and the city of Muncie,” said McKinney. “We are delighted to have been selected to host this event, and we look forward to a great event for the entire city.”

Contact trends and social scene reporter Rebecca Bream at rbream@muncie.gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @RebeccaBreamTSP.